


A step back to freedom

by AuraSweet13



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: Except in Chapter 5 it's explicit, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Title is from whimsicalwombat, as are a lot of the ideas :P
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-08-25
Packaged: 2018-07-26 14:51:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7578331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuraSweet13/pseuds/AuraSweet13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The man who kills Samar's parents doesn't just kill them and leave. A complete AU still set in the Blacklist universe, still with the characters we all know and love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Tehran, Iran, 1992**

Samar continued to hold her brother, even despite his attempts to get around her and see what was going on. She would do whatever it took to make sure he didn't see their bodies. But if she wanted to give them a proper burial, she had to get Shahin out of the room. So she pulled back just enough to look at him, fighting with every ounce of self control she had not to break down.  _"Shahin, can you go back out to the garden, please?"_  She murmured, stroking his cheek tenderly, like she'd seen their mother do so many times.

But she wasn't their mother.

She was his sister. More than that, however, she was only thirteen years old. She didn't know the first thing about being a parent, because Samar had thought that she'd have time to figure it all out. Apparently not.

His face mirrored the fear that she was currently feeling.  _"Okay, Samar."_ He said, and then headed out to the garden. She was careful to wait until the door had closed behind him before she gave in to her grief. Her shoulders sagged with the weight of it, but miraculously, she didn't break down. Swallowing, she turned and headed over to where her parents' bodies were. Sinking to her knees beside her mother's body, she reached out and placed two fingers against her neck, even though she knew what she'd find. Her mother's body was still warm, but there was no pulse. The gunshot had been precise, the goal had clearly been to kill.

Swallowing hard, she squeezed her eyes shut tight and visualized the burial rituals she remembered seeing once.

The sound of her brother screaming her name caused her eyes to shoot open. There was blatant terror in his voice that simultaneously turned the blood in her veins to ice and shot adrenaline through her system. She scrambled to her feet and ran out of the house, knowing her parents would understand. She'd barely gotten to the top step when she stopped dead in her tracks seeing the large man with one hand clamped tightly on her brother's shoulder. But it was the man's other hand that she was worried about, the one holding a gun to his head. In that moment, Samar recognized both the man and the gun.

She'd passed him on the way into her house, right before she found her parents' bodies.

" _Let him go now_." She spoke, and her voice held a note of confidence it had never had before. If the words hadn't come from her own mouth, she wouldn't have believed that she'd said them at all.

The man's brow rose, clearly her confidence had caught him just as off guard. But then it was replaced by a smirk.  _"And here I thought you were just a meek little mouse."_  His tone was mocking, and she felt herself shift in irritation.  _"I was wrong about you."_  There was a note of pride in his tone, for some reason. Samar wished she was more covered up, truthfully, even though there wasn't much more she could cover up. The man before her was a murderer, and a stranger, and she really didn't like the way he was eyeing her.

 _"Let him go. Now."_  She repeated. Not that she could really do anything to make that possible. But maybe if she seemed assertive enough, he'd listen. That was doubtful, but she still had a sliver of hope.  _"We have nothing you want."_  Not to mention nothing he could take from them that hadn't already shattered their lives.

 _"See, I can't do that, sweetheart."_  The man didn't move the gun.  _"My boss wants him. And my boss is not a man you would like to see angry. So, you have one of two options."_  He held up a finger.  _"One, you stay here, and we take your brother and leave you here by yourself. Or two,"_  Another finger. " _you come with us to keep an eye on your dear little brother."_  She felt nothing but anger as the man ruffled his hair, causing him to flinch.  _"Either way, this ends with us taking him."_

 _"Fine."_  She murmured.  _"I'll go with you. But can we bury our parents first?"_

The man watched her, but she wasn't looking at him. She was looking at the car that had just pulled up, the men that were getting out.  _"I suppose so. Want to give them a hand, guys?"_

**Richmond, Virginia, 2015**

Samar Navabi entered her apartment, taking off her coat and placing it on the hook. Then she headed into the kitchen for food and a beer.

"Hello, Miss Navabi." With lightning fast reflexes, she pulled her gun from its place at her side, cocked it and whirled in the direction of the voice. Raymond Reddington lounged at her table like he owned the place. And nearby stood his bodyguard, Dembe something, looking more like a statue than a man. "Put the gun away, there's no need for hostility. But, then, I suppose hostility is the only thing you know, isn't it? So I can't really fault you for that."

"I think I'm well within my rights to be hostile when you break into my apartment." She snapped. "Why are you here?"

"The answer to that question is simple." Reddington stood up, and she saw that he had a beer in his hand. Her eyes narrowed slightly, but if he noticed, he didn't react. "I know that you just recently got away from your, shall we say, employers. Not that that really matters. What does, however, is that it was under the guise of a mission. You didn't want them tailing you or checking up on you."

If he were anyone but Raymond Reddington, she would've asked how he knew that, or why he cared. Instead, what she asked was "So? They know I'm perfectly capable of handling a mission on my own, therefore they didn't send someone along with me."

"I know how they treated you and your brother." He said, and she couldn't stop the barely audible gasp that escaped her lips. "I know that you haven't seen him in years, because the people who took the two of you won't let you see him. More than that, however, I know people who can help you take them down, reunite you and Shahin."

Now he had her interest. Of course, she wasn't about to say this. "I'm listening." She said coolly.

He gestured to the chairs, and she couldn't help rolling her eyes before moving to sit down. He did as well. "There's a task force in Washington, D.C. that specializes in dealing with criminals I give them, from my list. As it turns out, the people who took you and your brother are on that list. So, I see no reason why they shouldn't help you out."

Samar was wary, and doubtful. But, if there was even a slight chance that she could be reunited with her brother again, the two of them freed from the oppressive cage they'd been trapped in for so long, she had to take it. "Okay. Where do you suggest we start?"

Reddington smiled, and it was simultaneously the most unnerving and comforting thing she had seen thus far. "I was so hoping you'd ask me that."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Samar meets with Red's people-the task force

**The Post Office, Washington D.C., 2015**

Samar folded her hands on the table and tried not to be nervous or defensive. No one had outright treated her like she expected they would, like a criminal. They treated her, instead, like a witness to a crime. Which she supposed was appropriate enough, considering the reason she was here. To help them take down the organization she had been a part of for so long. _Unwillingly._ She reminded herself. _Nothing I did for them was because I wanted to._ But the FBI might not see it that way, and she knew that full well, too. Though she wore a long sleeved shirt, her hand came up to rest on her arm, over the tattoo she had gotten secretly a couple of years ago. The falcon tattoo. It had given her comfort whenever she needed it, even if she couldn't see her brother.

She looked up as the door opened and a man and a woman entered the room. The two of them were polar opposites. The man was very clearly the serious, by the book type, and his skin tone was the polar opposite of the woman's. She had a bandage on her neck that stuck out in a stark contrast to her brown complexion. Samar's brows furrowed, and the question was on the tip of her tongue. But she didn't ask. If there was one thing she had learned in her time with _them_ , it was to mind her own business. She tried to smile as they sat down, but she suspected it didn't quite reach her eyes. The man stayed stoic, but the other woman returned it as she sat down. Her gaze went to a slim dossier in his hands as he set it on the table, before she turned her gaze back to him.

"Miss Navabi?" The female agent asked, her voice barely above a whisper, which Samar suspected was a result of whatever the bandage on her neck was concealing from their view. She nodded and the woman continued. "I'm Agent Meera Malik, and this is Donald Ressler."

"We're told you can help us track these people down." The man-Ressler, she corrected herself-spoke, getting straight to the point and, though she didn't particularly like him, she had to admire his no-nonsense attitude. "Which is the only reason why we're not arresting you." Her eyes narrowed at this, and it was only due to her self control that she didn't make a smart remark. "Our CI tells us that you know this group intimately."

That was perhaps the understatement of the century. "You could say that." She responded evenly. "One thing you both need to know, is that this organization is vast, more so than you might think if you didn't know it like I do."

"Where do you suggest we start?" Ressler asked, and Samar found that she didn't like him. He had an air of self importance about him that drove her insane; she'd gotten more than enough of that growing up with _them_.

"Do you have a piece of paper and a writing utensil?" She asked. Part of her felt the guilt of doing this like a stone in the pit of her stomach, but all it took to get rid of that was a memory of her brother, whom she hadn't seen for more than an hour since they'd been taken. One of their other colleagues brought the materials in and placed them in front of her. Picking up the pen, she started to write a list of all the possible addresses they could be at. There weren't too many, she had very limited information on them. But she did know for a fact that some were there in the States. Hopefully that would be enough of a lead for the agents on this task force to get started. She slid the paper back to them, and watched them both read over the list silently.

Meera smiled at her. "Thank you. This will help us a lot."

Samar gave a slightly larger, more genuine smile than the one she had when they'd first sat down. "My only regret is that I can't give you more." She wondered what they'd do with her while they went to investigate the addresses she had given them. _Leave you in here, probably._ The cynical side of her responded. But she had no reason to assume otherwise. It was what **they** would have done.

Meera nodded, the slightest smile on her lips. "Come on, then." She moved over to open the door, ignoring Ressler's incredulous look.

Samar knew how he felt. "I beg your pardon?"

"Well, you're an informant for the FBI now." Meera told her. "Not only that, but you've been thoroughly searched. So, as long as you don't touch or tamper with anything you're not supposed to, I don't see any reason why you should stay cooped up in here. Unless you _want_ to stay in here?"

Samar shook her head and stood up. "Lead the way." She followed Meera out, barely sparing Ressler a second glance. She had no reason to double-cross the FBI, not if she wanted any chance of seeing her little brother again.

She hadn't paid much attention to the main room of the building she was in, the black site, she reminded herself. As a result, she was caught off guard by all the people and the technology, the red numbers on a clock to the side of the building, detailing what time it was. "Wow." She breathed, unable to stop herself. Cautiously, she followed them down the stairs to where two others were standing, looking at the screens, and where one man was sitting a computer, presumably telling them about what they were looking at. As they became aware that there was an unfamiliar person there, the conversation tapered off.

"This is Samar Navabi." Meera introduced.

You could hear a pin drop after that. "Hello." She said, surprising herself by being the one to break the silence.

The man sitting at the computer spoke first. "Wow, you're tall." She gave a shy smile, her stomach fluttering in a way she didn't think it ever had before now.

Meera placed the list she had given them down on the table, so everyone else could see it. "Ms. Navabi was kind enough to draw us up a list of potential locations they could be at." She said.

As they looked over the list she had written up, her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket, stepping away from the strange group of people she would apparently be working with. Seeing 'Blocked number', fear gripped her heart. She cautiously answered it. "Navabi." Her voice came out much calmer than she had been expecting.

" _Samar._ " Even if they destroyed everything of the girl she once was, like they thought they had, she'd still know that voice anywhere.

She very nearly collapsed right then and there in the strange room, near the strange people. " _Shahin._ " Her tone was barely above a whisper. He sounded like a man now, such a far cry from the little boy she remembered so vividly, and saw behind her eyelids every night. " _How are you? Are you okay?_ "

He continued as if she hadn't spoken. " _I'm so sorry. I don't want to do this, they're making me._ " She didn't have time to ask why before there was an explosion on the other end of the phone that was so loud, it had her ears ringing.

All the self control in the world couldn't stop her from yelling out what she did next. " _Shahin!_ "


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meeting, a part 2 of sorts.

**Tehran, Iran, 1992**

They had barely finished filling in the holes of their parents graves, when they were grabbed and hauled to the back of a van she hadn't seen or heard come in. It was windowless, black. Shahin was screaming and crying, thrashing, trying to get free but failing. Samar wanted to cry out, to do something. But her body simply refused; why, she didn't know. They were both tossed unceremoniously into the back of the van, the doors shut, leaving them in complete darkness with only a few little slats in the side so they didn't suffocate.

Samar knew what their faith taught. Not to hate people, and she tried so hard to follow that.

But in this moment, following the sound of Shahin panicking and crying out for her, for their mother and father, for _anyone who could help them_ , Samar **hated** these men with everything in her.

She wrapped her arms around him and started to softly sing in Farsi, an old lullaby their mother had loved to use whenever they had trouble sleeping, or just felt anxious or scared for any reason. Samar didn't know if it would work, but she knew she at least had to try it. He'd hyperventilate if she couldn't get him to calm down even a little bit. Like magic, like it had every time their mother sang it, it worked, and soon he was just curled in her arms, sniffling. Samar wanted to try and see if she could peer out the slats and see where they were, but the thought of moving away from him, even for a split second, was unfathomable.

 _"We're going to be okay, Shahin."_ She whispered into the crown of his head, not even the least bit sure if that was true or not. " _I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere._ "

**The Post Office, Washington D.C., 2015**

Samar could count on one hand the number of times she'd lost control during her time with the men who'd controlled her for the majority of her life. Without her notice, the phone had fallen from her hand and clattered to the floor. She couldn't clearly see or hear anything at that moment, the people around her were blurred faces and faint, echoing voices. In that moment, not unlike how she'd felt after kneeling next to her parents bodies all those years ago, feeling her mother's body stiffening under her hand, the urge to sink to the floor and simply not get up again nearly overwhelmed her.

Only this time, Shahin wasn't around to ground her.

She was aware of the others staring at her. "He was the only family I had left." She whispered brokenly. "And now he's...he's..." Death was not a new thing to her. Hell, it was probably her closest companion, since she had so rarely seen her brother, it may as well have been like he was on another planet. Despite that, he was still her little brother, which was probably the reason she couldn't bring herself to say the word out loud. Doing so meant that she had to accept he was gone.

That he was never coming back.

"Excuse me." She said and, without waiting for permission, she turned and all but ran from the main room, desperate for some fresh air.

The thought of seeing Shahin again was the only reason she had even come here at all. Now that he was gone, what reason did she have to keep living?

 _So you can see the bastards who took your parents and your brother from you, everything they've built, burn to the ground._ Her conscious spoke up.

"Miss Navabi?" Startled, she glanced over and found the man who had commented on her height standing there. It occurred to her now that she didn't know his name. "I'm sorry, about your brother." He said. "I can't even begin to imagine how you're feeling, so I won't try. And I know you don't know us, any of us, but I want you to know, that if you need anyone to talk to, you can come to me." She could hear the sincerity in his words, which was something she wasn't used to. "I'm not a field agent like Liz or Meera, or Ressler, so I'm around a lot more frequently than they are."

Liz must have been the other woman, the one who hadn't given her a second glance as she'd come down.

"Thank you." She breathed, turning her body so she was facing him. "That's sweet of you." She didn't know how to ask for his name without coming off as awkward as he was. "If you want to, you can call me Samar." There, an olive branch that would also suffice as a segway into getting his name.

He smiled. "Well, Samar, it's good to meet you." He offered his hand, and she shook it. "I'm Agent Mojtabai, but my friends just call me Aram."

They were just meeting today, and yet he was already giving her the name his friends called him. She managed a slightly larger smile. "Come on, let's head back inside." She said, surprising not only herself, it seemed, but Aram as well. He blinked, clearly startled, but nodded and led her back into the main room-'the war room', he explained to her it was called on their walk back. She didn't really understand why it was called that, but she was grateful for the distraction from her insidious thoughts he was providing. His kindness was a mystery to her-it had been so long since anyone had shown her even an iota of that. When they entered the room again, the first thing she noticed was that Agent Ressler, Agent Malik, and Liz, were gone. Aram sat back at what she had taken to assuming was 'his' desk. Because she was so far out of her element it almost made her head spin, she stayed standing. It was safer that way. Given everything she had endured today alone, she didn't feel much like taking a risk.

Technically, she had no reason to still be working with these people. The thought occurred to her that she should excuse herself and not get any further involved than she already was.

 _No. Don't you dare._ The thought was so sharp it almost made her flinch. _You are not a quitter. For years, you've been looking for a way to get rid of the people who made you a prisoner in your own life. Now you have a chance. Don't squander it. Your parents and Shahin wouldn't want you to._

"Where are the others?" She found the words to speak, and to her surprise, her voice came out strong. Confident.

"Gone to look at the locations you wrote down for them." The man she knew as Harold Cooper, Assistant Director for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, spoke. In that moment, she realized that the list she had provided for them was gone, too. "If they intel you gave us is good, we should have no problem tracking down the men who are responsible for so many acts of terror." Despite her reaction only minutes earlier, he didn't bring up her brother. Maybe he thought the instances weren't related, just coincidence.

She knew better.

 _You'd better be prepared._ She thought about the men she had been forced to call her superiors. _You have no idea what you're up against._ After all, if  **Raymond Reddington** trusted these people, enough to recommend that she see them about her problem, they had to be something special.

Well, she supposed she would just have to find out, wouldn't she?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team starts realizing just what they're getting into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for mentions of abuse.

Samar wondered exactly what they would find in the locations she had written down. She went where they told her, before now at least. So, while she had speculations about what these safe houses held, she had no way to know for sure; not until the three agents returned with whatever they found.

There was an uncharacteristic nervousness swirling inside of her. She'd never done anything like this before, betrayed the only people she had known since she was thirteen. They'd all know she was a traitor.

Once word of that got out, her days were numbered. More than they already had been when she had their "protection", for a genuine lack of a better word. She didn't know how much time had passed, she couldn't let herself look at the clock. She heard the elevator door open, heard voices. Curiosity got the better of her, and she glanced over her shoulder. Agent Malik and Agent Ressler were leading a handcuffed man into the room, towards the interrogation rooms.

She didn't recognize him on his looks, it was his voice that connected the dots in her mind. She had a distinct memory of him slapping her when she tried to stand up to him years ago. It was gruff, low. Violent. "You're not going to get away with this! When my boss discovers that I'm not where I'm supposed to be, you'll all be sorry!" Seeing him now, she swore she could feel the sting as his hand connected with her cheek.

Her fear all but skyrocketed. He _couldn't_ **see** her. God only knew what he would do to her if he did. She looked around, covertly but desperately trying to find a place to hide without drawing his attention to her.

"Samar, are you okay?" Aram asked, concern lacing his voice. And as she looked at him, the man they'd brought in, Arshan Farid, also looked up and met her gaze.

If looks could kill, she would already be six feet under.

"You ungrateful bitch!" He snarled, breaking free of Ressler's hold and lunging for her. She flinched away, hands coming up to shield her face. But he never made contact with her body. Opening her eyes, she found him on the ground, pinned by Ressler. His hateful words kept flying. "I should've known it was you who told the feds about the safe houses! I always told Jabbar you couldn't be trusted, that you were a weak link!" Ressler hauled Arshan to his feet.

"Save it for someone who cares." He said, his tone savage, and then he led him away.

Samar didn't realize she was shaking until she felt a hand on her shoulder, guiding her down to sit in a chair. Aram. "Are you okay?" He repeated.

She shook her head, feeling like her throat had closed up, making her unable to speak and barely able to breathe. If she focused, she swore she could still Arshan's voice, faintly screaming and swearing at Ressler and Meera. "This was a mistake." She said when she found her voice, noting that it was much quieter and more subdued. She just wanted this to be over. But, considering that she had gotten what she wanted exactly zero times in her life since the murders of her parents, she didn't know why she was expecting this to be any different. She ran a hand down her face, exhaling deeply. "These people are incredibly dangerous." She breathed. "There are more of them than even I know for certain." It occurred to her she should wait to share this information until everyone was here to listen. But she also knew that Meera and Ressler couldn't very well leave Arshan alone. She wouldn't want them to-he was not only easy to anger, but dangerously cunning. She had no doubts he'd easily find a way out if he was left to his own devices. "We could be at this for months." She wouldn't ask them to grant her protection; that really only worked for people who were scared to be punished by the law.

Jabbar, Arshan, all of them, they were all so confident in their own abilities that they had no fear of any of the laws. Though it helped that they were pretty much all important Iranian officials.

"Not only that, but they're absolutely ruthless." Samar continued when no one spoke to ask questions. "There is no line they won't cross to achieve their goals." Her mind flicked to her parents' bodies as she said this, but she pushed those thoughts away and continued. "It's like the Hydra of Greek mythology-if you cut one head off, two more grow back in its place." She didn't want to show her vulnerability to these people, who were still virtual strangers. But at the same time, they had seen Arshan's reaction to her, there was no point in trying to pretend like it hadn't happened. And she was far too tired to try. So she let her head drop into her hands.

"If you're worried about your safety, we can get you a protective detail." She looked up as Cooper spoke.

Her eyes widened. They'd do that for her? "I appreciate the offer, but when I said there's no line they won't cross, I meant it. It's not a matter of if they'll come after me, but when. If you allow Arshan to be released, I guarantee you he'll run straight to Jabbar and tell him about me, about all of you, about this place."

"Well, then it's a good thing we're not releasing him anytime soon, isn't it?" She looked over as Meera approached, her voice still quiet as a result of the bandage on her neck. "Along with him, we found lists of important buildings in various cities, plans for creating various kinds of explosives in his safe house. Mr. Farid isn't going anywhere anytime soon."

Samar exhaled a sigh of relief. Maybe, just maybe, they'd be okay. Maybe she wouldn't have to worry over her safety. Maybe these people could be trusted to protect her without expecting anything in return except for information she was only too happy to give them.

 

It was late when Samar drove back to her apartment. She pulled into her usual parking spot, then killed the engine. Pocketing the keys, she got out and headed inside. As she reached for the main door that would lead into the building, her cell phone rang.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket, expecting to see the number of one of her new colleagues. Instead, the caller id said Blocked Number. Remembering the last time her phone had read those words, her heart dropped into her stomach as she hit 'Accept' and held the phone to her ear.

Before she even had the chance to say 'Hello' or a similar greeting, the voice on the other end of the line spoke. _"I'm very disappointed in you, Navabi."_ She felt like the blood had turned to ice in her veins hearing the voice of Jabbar on the other end. His tone was cold, calculating, and that was probably the most terrifying part about the call. At least until her spoke again. " _Fraternizing with people not only myself, but your other superiors, have **explicitly told you** that you're not supposed to even go anywhere near?"_

'Told' was putting it mildly. 'Beat into her' was _far_ more accurate.

She couldn't find the words to speak, so he kept going. "When we find out where you are, and you know we will, what I do to you will make what we did to your parents look like a peaceful death. Have a nice night." And then he hung up, leaving Samar practically paralyzed with fear and glancing around in paranoia.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Samar is reeling from the threat, and asks the task force to help her.

**Isfahan, Iran, 1992**

Samar didn't know how long they had been driving for, all she knew for sure was that it had been a while. The whole drive, she remained curled around Shahin. Her fear and apprehension didn't matter. What did, was making sure he was safe, and as sheltered from whatever fate they were going to be subjected to as possible.

The doors opened, sending light spilling into the back of the van. She squinted and curled more protectively around Shahin, who was clinging to her neck, twisted around her like a monkey.

Two men climbed into the back and hauled them out, separating them. She had hesitated to fight or scream when they were first tossed into the back of the van. But this time, having Shahin wrenched away from her, hearing him cry out, she found the strength she needed. She fought with everything in her, almost like she was possessed by someone stronger and braver, kicking and screaming and trying to get out of the iron grip she was in. _"Let go!"_ She cried, biting the bicep of the man holding her. He cursed and dropped her. She landed hard, but she was too full of adrenaline to really notice, scrambling to her feet.

It wasn't until the man who had been the one to kill her parents delivered a swift kick to the back of her legs that she stopped fighting, sinking to her knees.

 _"Do you want us to take the boy away, sir?"_ An unfamiliar voice asked, and as she looked up, she saw him holding Shahin. Shahin's eyes were wide and scared as he looked at her, and she tried to smile reassuringly at him, aware that it was shaky.

 _"No."_ The first man responded. _"Just keep him where he is. They need to learn what happens when they disobey us."_ The look in his eyes was cold and predatory. Before she could ask any kind of questions, his foot connected with her stomach, and it took everything she had not to cry out in agony. His boots were heavy, and the force behind the kick was strong. But he didn't stop there. He grabbed her and dragged her to her feet, only to punch her and send her back to the ground. Another kick. She could hear Shahin screaming for her, but it was muted as a result on the steadily increasing pain. And then finally, he stopped _. "The next time you disobey me, or do something disrespectful to my men, who will now be your superiors, the punishment will be worse."_ He knelt to grab her chin, forcing her to look at him. _"Are we clear?"_

She nodded shakily. _"Yes."_ She choked out, letting the man who had been holding her lift her up-she noted that he was bleeding slightly where she had bitten him-and carry her off to who knew where.

**The Post Office, Washington D.C, 2015**

Samar was still glancing over her shoulder as she stepped off the elevator into the main room. She forced herself to look straight ahead, telling herself that they had security protocols in place. She was safer inside these walls than she was by herself. At least, she hoped so.

Samar approached Cooper, unsure of how to address him, but needing to talk to him. "Director Cooper?" She spoke.

He turned to look at her. "Yes, Miss Navabi?"

"Does the offer for giving me a protective detail still stand?"

His brow furrowed, but he nodded. "Of course. Not that it matters, but is there a particular reason you changed your mind?" He seemed like an observant man, so she wouldn't be surprised if he could tell something was wrong.

She pulled out her phone. "Last night, Jabbar called me to threaten me. So I can no longer afford to refuse your offer."

"I can put a recording software on your phone, as well as a tracing software." Aram blurted out, and she looked at him, startled. "If you want."

"Thank you, I'd appreciate that." She placed her phone into his outstretched hand before turning her attention back to Cooper.

He nodded, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder, cautiously. She appreciated that, and even managed not to flinch as he did so. "I can get on that right away."

"Thank you." She murmured, wondering why it was so easy for her to trust and feel comfortable around him, when her only previous authority figures had been despicable people. She leaned against Aram's desk, noting that the other three were gone off somewhere again.

"They went to check out one of the other locations on your list." Aram said. As she looked at him, she wondered what they would find in the next location. She turned her attention to watch him work on her phone, equal parts confused and fascinated. Technology was not one of her strong suits, not even close, so seeing someone like him, who not only seemed adept at it, but comfortable with it, was intriguing.

 

When the other three came back, they didn't have a person this time, just objects. Samar looked over as Cooper approached. "The safe house is ready for you." He said.

His words puzzled her. "Safe house?" She repeated. That wasn't what she had asked for. She got to her feet rather quickly, already trying to work out the best way to go if things went sour, like they seemed to be. "That's not what I asked for. You need me here. I'm the only one who knows anything about these people."

"Samar this isn't a punishment." Cooper told her, holding his hands up in a surrendering gesture, his voice soft. But he didn't try to get any closer to her, and for that she was incredibly grateful. "I know you want to help us figure this out, and that's appreciated. But you're not an agent. You're a witness to a case involving very dangerous people. People you just told me have threatened your life. This is for your safety."

Samar wanted to refuse again. But then Aram spoke. "Samar, we just want you to be safe. Please, go?" She looked at him, seeing the concern and slight fear in his eyes.

"Fine." Samar relented. "But only if I don't have to go by myself." For a split second, she felt like the young girl she had been in 1992.

"I'll go with you." Aram said, and she found herself further endeared to him at the way he answered without hesitation. Which terrified her, because she'd never known someone like that who wasn't her little brother.

"Are you sure?" She asked, and he nodded. "Well, okay then." He got up and started to pack up. "I need to stop by my apartment to grab some things." She said, and Cooper nodded.

"Of course." He smiled, and she found herself smiling back at him.

They left the Post Office, and twenty minutes later, Samar found herself in a car, a bag of her things sitting on her lap, Aram by her side, heading to the safe house in a location that hadn't been disclosed to her. Though she had only met them yesterday, she desperately found herself hoping that the task force would be okay, that they avoided the wrath of Jabbar and his people.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Samar and Aram arrive at the safe house, and a plan is set in motion.

**Jordan, Egypt, 2015**

His ears were ringing. Blearily, he opened his eyes, blinking a few times to try and clear his blurry vision. Everything hurt, but given what had just happened, that wasn't surprising. He sat up, seeing the building in shambles around him. A black van that was all too familiar to him pulled up, and the doors opened. "Get in." One of them said, and he got to his feet. After everything they'd done to him, did they seriously think he'd just go with them?

Then he spotted it. The glint of a phone on the belt of the man who had spoken to him. His mind was already going, trying to think of ways he could get it so he could contact Samar. This was the only reason he walked over and climbed into the van at all. Shahin's gaze kept flicking to the phone. How was he supposed to get it without drawing attention to what he was doing? He stared straight ahead, formulating a plan.

His mind inadvertently ended up going back to a memory from years ago, which may well have been an eternity with how long it had been. He'd been six, and Samar had been ten, and their mother had just made a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies. He'd wanted to try one before supper, and Samar had pulled him close and whispered a plan in his ear. As he was the younger one, he would be the one to distract their mother, while Samar snuck in the other way and snatched a couple off the pan. The plan had gone off without a hitch. He smiled gently at the memory, before wiping the emotion of his face before any of the others saw it.

If he had someone who could help him distract them so he could snatch the phone...But he didn't. Their superiors probably knew what the two of them were capable of if they were near each other; allowed to talk, to plan, so they had kept them separate. He had no idea what kinds of awful things they had made her do in her time with them, but having grown up around them, he could only imagine. Rage flooded through him, but he didn't lash out, no matter how much he wanted to. He couldn't die, not before he got the chance to see her face to face again.

Especially not now that she undoubtedly thought he was actually dead.

He hadn't heard her reaction thanks to the ringing in his ears from the explosion, but he didn't need to. Even separated from her, Shahin knew her almost as if they were twins separated by four years.

He didn't care what he had to do, he'd make them all pay for the hell the two of them had been put through.

 **A safe house in**   **Virginia, 2015**

The car stopped, and Samar got out, grateful to have the chance to stretch her legs. But, it also appeared that they were at the safe house. She hadn't been expecting anything extravagant, so she wasn't surprised at the log cabin in the woods. She carried her bag, watching Aram seem to struggle with juggling not only his personal suitcase, but the backpack that she knew carried all his technical equipment. Without asking, she reached over to gently take the handle of his suitcase in her free hand. "Here, let me help." She murmured, offering a tentative but no less genuine smile.

He blinked, startled, and she resisted the urge to giggle at the utterly baffled expression he wore. "Oh, no, you don't have to do that." He told her immediately, but she didn't listen and carried the suitcases to the front door.

"You're staying out here with me, even though you don't have to." She pointed out. "Trust me, it's the least I can do." She set the bags down, pulling out the key Cooper had handed to her before the two of them had left, unlocking and opening the door. She stepped inside, making sure the door didn't shut on him. "Nice place." And for all intents and purposes, it was. She'd stayed in places that were far more run down and filthy on missions for Jabbar. At least the cabin was clean, and the furniture seemed to be in good shape.

Aram moved over to sit at the table, and probably to set his equipment up. She moved over to check out the cabin, see what they were dealing with. She opened the fridge to find it contained almost nothing. "So, do you happen to know if anyone will go grocery shopping for us while we're here?" Samar asked, looking over at him.

"Why do you ask that?" Aram looked confused as he met her gaze.

"There's almost nothing in the fridge." Samar responded, closing it and moved to the cupboards and the pantry instead. It was much the same. "We should be all right for a few days, but eventually, someone will need to go shopping for us."

"I'll make a note of that on my computer. So we don't forget." Aram said, and she was only mildly surprised when she looked over to find him with his computer already set up. She closed the cupboards and moved over, sitting down at the table while being careful not to disturb any of the cords or machines that were now starting to surround them.

"So, I'm going to be honest, I have no idea what any of this is for." She looked at him. "Walk me through it, please?"

"It's kind of hard to explain," He started. "But the really simple version is this..." And then he launched into an explanation that was so complicated, it had Samar forgetting about their limited amount of food, about the dire situation she was in and why she was now in hiding in the first place.

**Isfahan, Iran, 2015**

Jabbar Farzan had always known that the Navabi siblings would be trouble, from that first day they were brought in. But at least Shahin had been easier to manipulate and control than Samar. Or so he thought.

At least until he stood at the window of his large manor, watching Shahin prowl around like an alley cat, clearly looking for something. The boy was covert about it, but given his own current position, it was almost too easy for Jabbar to spot Shahin.

He reached for his phone and brought it back over to the window, shifting the curtain so he would be hidden from view if Shahin decided to look up. _"Rahim, come to my office as soon as you can, please."_ He said calmly, voice giving absolutely nothing away.

He hadn't gotten to where he was now by being easy to read.

The door opened and his right hand man peered around it. _"Yes, sir?"_

 _"I assigned you to watch Shahin, make sure he did what he was expected of him, right?"_ He already knew the answer. There was no room for Rahim to make a mistake.

Rahim nodded. _"Of course you did, sir."_

A smirk came to his face. _"Well, then perhaps you could tell me what he's stalking around out there looking for."_

Rahim ventured to the window just as quietly and covertly as his boss, watched the young man. _"I don't know."_ Then he remembered something. _"I checked his phone not long ago. His last phone call before the bomb went off was to Miss Navabi. He might be looking for something he could use to contact her again."_

Watching his reflection in the window, Jabbar noticed his facade crack just so.

 _"Do you want me to bring him in to explain himself to you, sir?"_ Rahim asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He shook his head, turning to face Rahim. _"No. Let this play out. And make sure a phone is somewhere he can reach it. However,"_ He smirked again, recovering his calm facade. _"Track the number he calls. This could work in our favour, Rahim. In his desperation to get to his sister, he could lead us right to her."_ Rahim nodded, and Jabbar turned to watch him leave. It occurred to him that they were taking a shot in the dark, assuming he was going to call Samar. But then, who else would he _have_ to call, if not his big sister? He smirked cruelly. They were little more than children in the grand scheme of it all, as they had been that first day.

And one thing was certain: He would make them regret ever trying to double cross him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan continues to unfold

**D.C. Wilderness**

Samar stopped dead in her tracks when she poked her head into where she assumed the bedroom would be, and found only one bed. Well, that wasn't good. She stepped back out into the living room. "There's only one bed." May as well just get it out in the open now, rather than have him find out later.

The look on his face would be laughable if she wasn't feeling so tense about this whole situation. Yes, she had requested the safe house, yes she knew this was for her own safety. But her nerves were shot. "Oh, that's, uh..."

She held up her hand. "Don't worry about it. I'll take the couch." Seeing that he was about to protest, she hurried on. "I don't sleep much anymore. Haven't for years now. It's not a big deal."

"Why not?" He asked.

"Nightmares." She responded bluntly, feeling only slightly bad when he winced.

"I'm not surprised, with everything you've probably been through." Aram said, and his tone was so full of understanding it brought tears to her eyes before she hurriedly blinked them away, hoping that he hadn't seen them.

If he did, he was either too nice, or feeling too awkward to comment on it. Either way, she was glad. "So, humor me." She said. "If you weren't here with me right now, or at work, what would you be doing?" She was curious about him. The mundane things.

He barely had to think before he had an answer for her. "Probably watching Doctor Who." She stared at him, unsure of what that was. Should she know it? "I'm guessing you have no idea what that is." Aram guessed, and she nodded. He smiled sympathetically. "Well, that's okay. Maybe while we're here, I can show you an episode or two. I can explain it to you if you get lost."

Samar nodded. She was uncertain, but appreciated the effort anyway. "Okay. Sounds good." She said, and then her phone rang, making the both of them startle. She looked at the phone. By now, she was no longer shocked to see 'Blocked Number' on the screen. And she took extra comfort in the fact that Aram and the FBI were tracking any calls sent to it. She answered it. "Hello?"

_"Samar."_

As soon as she heard the voice on the other end, the language she was speaking in switched, which only made since, considering it was her mother tongue. " _Shahin?"_ She breathed, a strange mixture of puzzled and overjoyed swirling around inside of her. " _I thought you were dead. I **heard** you die_." There was silence on the other end of the line, and she thought the connection had been lost. " _Shahin, please say something._ " Her tone was pleading.

 _"I never thought I'd get to hear your voice again."_ He responded, and his voice sounded small. For a moment, he was the boy he used to be.

 _"Shahin, what happened?"_ She asked. _"I heard an explosion the last time we talked."_

 _"The explosion was real, but I wasn't close enough to be seriously injured or worse."_ Shahin responded, and she exhaled in relief. " _I just needed to hear your voice again. I needed you to know that I'm not dead._ "

 _"Well, believe me, I appreciate that."_ Samar told him, and then she heard a sound she hadn't heard in what felt like an eternity: Shahin's laugh.

 _"I have to go now, technically I'm not even supposed to be in possession of a phone, let alone using it for...well, you know the protocols."_ He said, and though he couldn't see it, she nodded. They may have been kept separate for the most part, but the rules and regulations they had to follow were largely the same. At least, she assumed so. " _I'll call again soon._ " And then he hung up the phone. She put it away, glad that he was alive, that she'd been able to have an actual conversation with him.

"Samar." She turned as Aram spoke. The grim expression on his usually carefree face scared her. She ventured over cautiously. "Someone was tracking the call. I don't have an identity, but if I trace the number, it could lead me to who's tracking it."

Samar nodded at his words. "Okay, go for it." She said, and then turned away before he could see the fear that had taken root on her face. Not because she suspected Shahin was up to anything less than honourable, but because she wouldn't put it past their superiors to trace his calls if they thought they had probable cause to do so. And given Jabbar's threat, she figured that Shahin calling her would definitely give them a reason to trace his calls. "How quickly can you figure out if the call was being tracked by someone who isn't FBI?"

Now it was Aram's turn to look concerned. "Pretty quickly, why?"

"Because they'll be coming after me, we need to pack up and move now."

"Why rush? I thought they were on the opposite side of the world." Aram asked, but she noticed with pride that he was powering down all his electronics and packing them up.

"Jabbar thinks I don't know, but he has men all over the world, watching Shahin and I to make sure we don't screw up. He may not be able to get to me, but they could." Samar told him flatly, glad that she hadn't unpacked her bag. "Ready?" Samar asked, looking at him.

He nodded, picking up his bags. "Ready." She hurried to the door, throwing it open. Her phone sat heavy in her pocket, and she pulled it out, ready to destroy it. They couldn't track her if the phone was destroyed.

A hand on her wrist stopped her from throwing it to the ground. "Wait, what if you need to contact Shahin, or Cooper?" Aram asked, his voice soft but firm.

She considered his words, nodding. "Good plan." She put the phone back into her pocket. "Let me drive." Her tone said it wasn't up for debate.

"Go for it." Aram said as they moved to the car that had been left there for them by the FBI. She put the bags in the trunk, and the pair of them moved to the car, getting in. Samar accepted the keys for him and started the car, pulling out of the driveway. She knew she was going faster than she probably should've been, but they didn't have time to adhere to the speed limits. "Samar, where are we going?"

"A safe house I had set up for myself and Shahin, just in case something like this ever happened." She responded without taking her eyes off the road. "My superiors don't know about it."

Aram nodded, and then he got to figuring out who was tracking the call between herself and Shahin.

**Isfahan, Iran**

Jabbar picked up the phone, dialling a number. _"I know where she is."_ He said. _"I'm going to give you an address, write it down and go after her."_ With those words, he gave the address and hung up the phone.

**D.C. back roads**

Samar Navabi was a kamikaze driver. Aram Mojtabai had figured that out almost the second after she pulled out of the driveway. She wasn't adhering to the speed limits, and he was just glad they weren't on a road with people. He was gripping the arm rests of the passenger seat as she sped down the dirt road. He faced forward and his eyes widened.

A nondescript black car was coming towards them. Samar pressed on the breaks suddenly, jolting him forward. He watched her unbuckle her seatbelt and get out of the car. As she did so, he became aware of a gun holstered on her hip. "Stay in the car." She told him, and he wasn't about to protest.

He watched her approached the car, watched her mouth move with words he couldn't hear. The door opened, and Mr. Reddington got out, hands up. Aram rolled down the window so he could hear the conversation.

"I can help you." Mr. Reddington said, his tone calm despite the gun she had in his face.

"We don't need your help." Samar told him, but Aram watched her eyes dart around, like she was looking for enemies.

But then again, given the situation, she probably was. "I beg to differ, Miss Navabi." Red spoke. "I think you'll need all the help you can get to deal with what's coming, and I think you know that." He held out his hand. "Do we have a deal?" He smiled in a way that unnerved Aram.

Samar nodded and shook his extended hand.

Several things happened after that. Aram heard the scrape of tires on the dirt road, this time pulling up behind the car. Quickly, but without dislodging the laptop, he rolled up the window, right in time for a man to come up to the window of the passenger side, pointing a gun right against the glass, the only thing separating the bullet in the gun from his temple. He swallowed hard and faced forward, meeting Samar's wide eyes with a gaze he knew was equally wide.


	8. Chapter 8

Samar turned her gun on the man with his gun pointed at Aram through the car. She was aware of Reddington drawing a gun and pointing it at the man as well.

"Let's not be hasty, now." The man spoke, his English heavily accented. "Believe it or not, I just came here to talk." He met Samar's gaze, and she wondered why she didn't recognize him. "Jabbar wishes to talk to you."

"I know exactly what Jabbar wishes to do to me,  and I can guarantee it's not talk." Samar spat.

The man smirked.

Samar glanced at Aram, who sat stark still in the passenger seat. He looked terrified. Her gaze when back to Jabbar's goon. "Step away from him. He's not important." She ordered.

"You say that, but if he wasn't so important, you wouldn't be trying so hard to protect him." The man responded. She turned to Red for support, only to find that he was already being immobilized by another man she hadn't seen creep up. Dembe as well. "So, here's how things are going to go." She turned back to face the leader of the group. She was having flashbacks to the day they were taken, but trying not to let them overwhelm her. She could almost smell, hear and see everything as it was in Tehran in 1992. "Either you and your little boyfriend here come with us, or I put a bullet in his head right here and leave his body here for someone to find while I knock you and drag you to Jabbar."

"Excuse me." Everyone turned to look as Aram spoke up, his voice carrying through the open window. "I'll have you know, I'm six foot one."

Samar exhaled a sharp sigh, noting the matching irritation on the face of the man she was facing down. "So, what's it going to be?" He cocked the gun for emphasis.

"Don't hurt him." Samar's tone was calm, but she winced internally hearing the note of fear. "I'll go with you."

"Fantastic." The stranger's tone was saccharine. "But, since you seem to be so agreeable when his safety comes into question, I think we should take him with us." He gestured at Aram with the gun. "Get out of the car, leave the bag." He stepped back to let Aram get out, placing the gun to his head. "Now both of you are going to come with me. Understood?" He said, and Samar nodded, watching Aram do the same. She took only a second to look over her shoulder at Reddington, who looked slightly scared. Then, she steeled herself, facing forward and following the stranger to the car he'd arrived in, making sure he didn't hurt Aram.

Whatever happened from here on, she had to protect Aram. She hadn't cared about her own well being in so long, she forgot what doing so felt like.

She reached for his hand and laced her fingers through his.

Though she had a feeling all the apologies in the world wouldn't be enough to fix this, or get them out of it.

**Iranian airspace**

Their phones were gone, they had been taken before the two of them were forced onto the plane. They'd also been forbidden from sitting next to one another, so it ended up with Samar sitting in one seat, and Aram a couple rows down from her.

Samar wanted to talk to him, more than anything, but she was terrified what they would do if she tried, so she just settled for giving him a very weak smile and looking out the window she was seated next to. She had no way of knowing what Jabbar would do. Despite being forced to work for him, for lack of a better word, since she was thirteen, his moods were almost never consistent. She had no clue how he would react when they showed up.

And that genuinely scared her, as did the thought of what he'd do.

 _Remember. No matter what, you have to protect Aram._ Her conscience reminded her. It was her fault he was even in this mess in the first place-that any of them were. And while she didn't think the task force was in as much danger as herself and Aram, that didn't mean they were out of the woods.

Jabbar was vindictive when he wanted to be. She thought back to that first day, when she'd tried to defy him, and how he'd beaten her into submission. His punishments had gotten much harsher as she had gotten older, until now she knew better than to disobey him. Which was another reason her fear of his reaction just kept climbing. Because she had done nothing _but_ disobey him since first talking to Reddington.

She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that she wasn't going to get out of this alive. The thought terrified her, if she was being completely honest. She wasn't ready to die yet, not when her life seemed to be so close to finally getting back on track.

She folded her hands in her lap, squeezing so tightly her knuckles hurt, as she looked out the window, lost in her own thoughts.

**Isfahan, Iran**

Before she really knew what was happening, the plane jolted with the touchdown, and her heart leaped into her throat, threatening to choke her.

She rose as the stranger, whose name she still didn't know, approached her, vaguely aware of Aram doing the same.

Numbly, she followed him to the door as it was opened, and felt a hand in hers. Looking down, she saw Aram's hand in hers, and looked up at him. He was smiling at her in a way that reassured her a little, but the fear in his eyes was impossible to miss. "We'll be okay." He whispered. Then his hand fell away from hers, and she grasped at air. Facing forward, she moved down the steps, making sure they had no reason to drag her down them. As soon as her feet touched the ground, the urge to run back into the plane nearly overtook her, but by sheer force of will she stayed where she was, walking with her head high.

This was Jabbar's compound. She'd know it anywhere.

The stranger who had brought them here grabbed her arm, as if he thought she'd try to run. She wanted to, but she wasn't stupid. She wouldn't get far.

The punishment if she tried that was something she didn't want Aram to ever see.

So she let him half drag her into the building, down the halls she knew so well. She expected him to take them to Jabbar's office.

Surprise and fear welled in her when he took her to the door right next to it, a door she didn't recognize, a room she had never been in.

He opened it and all but pushed her inside.

Samar stopped dead in her tracks seeing Shahin in the center of the room, restrained to a chair, and the glint of Jabbar's eyes in the shadows.

There was an empty chair across from Shahin's, which she was promptly forced into and restrained in the same manner, with her arms and legs bound to the chair's limbs.

 _"Well,"_ Jabbar drawled, and his tone caused her to shiver. His eyes were cold, but she could see the glint of joy in them. He made no attempts to hide the pleasure he was going to take from this. And why should he? Samar didn't look away from him as he continued to speak, even as the words struck fear into her heart. _"Now that you're both here, I can begin. We have a lot to discuss."_


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter of this story, I hope you have all enjoyed it as much as I have.

Shahin's face was bruised. His eye was swollen shut, and it broke Samar's heart. Clearly Shahin had been taking the brunt of Jabbar's rage while she was flown to Isfahan.

 _Hopefully now that I'm here, that'll change._ She thought. _"What do you want?"_ She asked, sounding much braver than she felt.

He carried on as if she hadn't spoken. _"You two have been accused of disobeying my direct orders and the orders of your other superiors."_ He bent down so his face was level with hers, and she tried to press as far back into the chair as she could in order to get away from him. _"How do you plead?"_

 _"I plead that I don't regret a damn thing I did since I got away from you."_ Samar spat. The slap he gave her rocked the chair she sat in, but it didn't fall.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" In truth, Samar had almost forgotten Aram was even in the room. She looked over her shoulder at him, and saw what looked like fear and concern on his face.

 _"Please, take our guest somewhere more accommodating."_ Jabbar said calmly. Samar watched the lackey nod and all but drag Aram out. She barely bit back a cry of pain as her chin was grabbed, her head forced back to look at Jabbar. His fingers dug into her chin. _"Now that he's out of the way, we can continue our conversation."_

 _"She's not the only one at fault, Jabbar."_ Fear rose up in Samar hearing Shahin's voice. Jabbar turned away from her to look at him, and Samar met Shahin's gaze. The corners of his lips turned upwards in a smile that didn't quite reach his good eye, since his other one was still bruised shut. _"My phone call was what prompted her to strike out against you in the first place."_

Samar instantly wanted to protest to that. While yes, thinking he was dead had pushed her to do whatever it took to take Jabbar and his men down, she'd already been planning out how to do so long before she even met Red, or the task force. _"That's not true. I've been trying to do that for years."_ She said.

 _"This is getting tiresome."_ Jabbar said, annoyance clear in his tone. _"You two always were sickeningly sacrificial. I never understood why."_

 _"Because you've never had anyone you loved."_ Samar retorted. This earned her another slap, and she knew if this kept up, she'd bruise, too. That was, if her face hadn't started to bruise already.

 _"I will say one thing, though."_ Samar looked across the room at Shahin. _"You'd think a mastermind such as yourself,"_ His tone was dry. _"would be better at tying knots."_ And as she watched, he moved his arms, the rope that had been binding them to the chair falling uselessly to the floor. Once his arms were free, the ropes binding his feet gave way much more easily. Jabbar pointed his gun at Shahin, but Samar could see the fear in his body, even though his back was to her. And, the more she looked at Jabbar, the more she realized something.

When she was a young girl, he had seemed to be an impenetrable wall, a fearsome beast of man she would never have even considered crossing. But now that she was older, she could see him for what he was.

An aging man hiding behind his bravado.

 _"Don't try it. You also made sure our training was thorough, so we could carry out your twisted schemes."_ Shahin's voice was cold as he moved with him, easily disarming Jabbar and knocking him to the ground.

 _"You're not going to kill me, Shahin. You don't have the guts."_ Jabbar snarled. But the fear was clear in his eyes now.

 _"You don't know anything about me."_ Shahin responded, pointing the gun at his leg. A shot rang out, followed by a cry of pain from Jabbar. Then he moved over to untie Samar's hands and feet, the gun still in his hand. Samar rose from the chair, examining the man she used to fear. Now she felt nothing but contempt.

 _"His henchmen are going to be coming soon."_ Samar murmured, knowing that they had likely heard the gunshot.

 _"Let them come."_ Shahin responded, and Samar was caught off guard by the anger on his face. In that moment, he looked every bit as evil and unforgiving as Jabbar.

So she placed her hand on his shoulder, her anger simmering down. _"Please, brother. Be smart about this."_ She breathed. The two of them couldn't take all of his men on. The gun only had so many bullets in it.

 _"He deserves to pay, Samar."_ Shahin looked right back at her, though his expression softened minimally. _"He murdered our parents, he held us captive and tortured us and struck fear into our hearts to get us to do what he wanted. I want him to suffer as much as we have. A quick death would be too kind for him. And you know that if I let him live, there won't be any justice for us, for our family."_ She couldn't deny that. _"If I let him live, we will **never** be able to get away from him."_

That she knew, too. Samar didn't know the things her brother had done while listening to Jabbar and doing his bidding. But she didn't want him to feel like he had to do this alone. And if she couldn't talk him out of it, she may as well be right there with him. _"Together."_ She said, placing her hand over top of his on the gun. He smiled at her and nodded, before they both turned to face their personal devil. _"You brought this on yourself, Jabbar."_ She told him and then together, they pointed it at his head and pulled the trigger.

 

Aram Mojtabai was laughably out of his comfort zone. Well, he would have been, if he was in a laughing mood. Which he wasn't, at all. Not even a little bit. He was facing the door, tied to a chair, hands and feet both restrained. As if they thought he'd fight back. Then again, given who Samar was, they probably did think that. But he had bigger things on his mind than what his captors were thinking.

He'd heard two gunshots in the span of five minutes, and he found himself fearing for Samar's life. Even though he barely knew her, even though she was technically the reason he was even here in the first place. He'd felt a kinship with her, and the thought that she could've been on the receiving end of one of those gunshots made him sick to his stomach.

The door knob to his cell turned. He sat up as straight as he could, ready to plead with his captors for his life if that was what it took. He wasn't too proud to beg. But he relaxed when he saw Samar enter the room, followed by a man who looked eerily like her. He realized with a shock that this must be the fabled Shahin. "Jabbar's dead, the rest of his men are nowhere in sight." Samar told him as she moved over to where he sat, tied up, while Shahin stood guard at the door with a gun. "We're free to go."

He rubbed his wrists as she untied them, watching as she untied his feet as well. "Okay, so what now?"

"Now, we get on with our lives." Shahin spoke, his voice matter of fact. "And if, on the way out of here, we meet any resistance, we'll figure something out."

Samar moved away from his chair. "Unless, of course, you want to stay here." She said, eyebrow raising, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Oh, no, definitely not." Aram said, and Samar laughed as he got up and scrambled to her side.

She wasn't naive enough to think that they were out of the woods yet. But it was a damn good start, and more than she'd had in years. So she'd take it. After all, she was pretty good at thinking on the go.

**Author's Note:**

> Italics are meant to be spoken in Farsi


End file.
